Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 2 September 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the crisis facing Scotland’s lamb industry and whether it intends to offer any assistance to help the industry with marketing and advertising measures.

Ross Finnie: I have already convened one meeting of key industry interests to address the present difficulties. This has led to positive action being taken to increase lamb sales on home and export markets. Further meetings are planned so that I can work with the industry to try to help the situation, which I acknowledge is difficult. The Meat and Livestock Commission and SQBLA both have resources available to help promote and market lamb. Recently, I announced that I would provide SQBLA with an extra £150,000 to help find new markets for Scottish beef and lamb.

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to initiate research into the current crisis affecting the lamb industry, particularly its pricing structure.

Ross Finnie: From discussions I have had with all sectors of the sheep industry, there is a recognition and clear understanding of the sources of current difficulties, including the intricacies of the pricing structure.

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has corresponded with Scotland’s major supermarkets in order to seek their support for Scotland’s lamb industry.

Ross Finnie: Recognising the important role played by the major supermarkets in selling meat and meat products, efforts have been and will continue to be made, to encourage them to support home-produced products, including lamb. Special lamb promotions are planned for this autumn to coincide with the period when supplies are heaviest.

Agriculture

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place in Scotland for the disposal of cattle over the age of 30 months that have been culled as part of the programme to eradicate BSE.

Ross Finnie: Cull material arising in Scotland is either sent direct for incineration, or rendered then held in secure storage pending final destruction.

Beef

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to be able to make an announcement with regard to lifting the beef-on-the-bone ban.

Susan Deacon: As stated in The Partnership for Scotland Agreement, we look forward to ending the ban on beef-on-the-bone as soon as medical advice indicates that it would be safe to do so. The matter is still being considered by our medical advisers.

Community Care

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many day care places are provided for people with dementia in each local authority area.

Iain Gray: It is not possible to directly specify how many day care places are intended for people with dementia. However, the following two tables show (a) the number of places available in day centres intended for older people, and (b) the number of clients with dementia attending day care centres for any client group. These tables are presented by local authority area and relate to March 1998.

  Number of Places in Day Care Centres Intended for Older People by Local Authority, Scotland 19981

  

Local Authority 

Number of places in day centres for older 

people2 



SCOTLAND 

7,670 



Aberdeen, City of 



228 



Aberdeenshire 



639 



Angus 

116 



Argyll & Bute 



90 



Clackmannanshire 



115 



Dumfries & Galloway 



477 



Dundee City 



70 



East Ayrshire 



129 



East Dunbartonshire 



10 



East Lothian 



0 



East Renfrewshire 



50 



Edinburgh, City of 



599 



Eilean Siar 



70 



Falkirk 

170 



Fife 

382 



Glasgow City 



1,007 



Highland, The 



670 



Inverclyde 



84 



Midlothian 



10 



Moray, The 



96 



North Ayrshire 



103 



North Lanarkshire 



318 



Orkney Islands 



41 



Perth & Kinross 



142 



Renfrewshire 



346 



Scottish Borders 



309 



Shetland Islands 



120 



South Ayrshire 



461 



South Lanarkshire 



421 



Stirling 

76 



West Dunbartonshire 



179 



West Lothian 



142 




  Source: D1-B census form (Community Care Statistics Division)

  Notes:

  1. The census was undertaken in the week ending 29 March 1998.

  2. Figures relate to the maximum number of places available at any one time. They exclude centres with less than 4 places, as these are usually attached to residential homes.

  Number of Clients with Dementia Attending Day Care Centres by Local Authority, Scotland 19981

  

Local Authority 

Number of clients with dementia attending 

day care centres2 



SCOTLAND 

2,626 



Aberdeen, City of 



59 



Aberdeenshire 



112 



Angus 

56 



Argyll & Bute 



47 



Clackmannanshire 



29 



Dumfries & Galloway 



131 



Dundee City 



32 



East Ayrshire 



73 



East Dunbartonshire 



0 



East Lothian 



26 



East Renfrewshire 



45 



Edinburgh, City of 



114 



Eilean Siar 



33 



Falkirk 

73 



Fife 

168 



Glasgow City 



445 



Highland, The 



134 



Inverclyde 



55 



Midlothian 



4 



Moray, The 



14 



North Ayrshire 



73 



North Lanarkshire 



120 



Orkney Islands 



22 



Perth & Kinross 



48 



Renfrewshire 



140 



Scottish Borders 



55 



Shetland Islands 



15 



South Ayrshire 



124 



South Lanarkshire 



219 



Stirling 

27 



West Dunbartonshire 



86 



West Lothian 



47 




  Source: D1-B census form (Community Care Statistics Division)

  Notes:

  1. The census was undertaken in the week ending 29 March 1998.

  2. Figures relate to the number of clients where dementia best describes their circumstances. They exclude those attending centres with less than 4 places, as these are usually attached to residential homes.

Domestic Violence

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Partnership on domestic violence will reconvene.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence will meet on 27 September 1999.

Domestic Violence

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence will announce further proposals.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence is expected to submit a revised Workplan and Timetable to the Scottish Executive in October 1999.

Domestic Violence

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the names of the people who make up the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence was established in November 1998. The current membership is shown below:-

  Mrs Anne Smith QC – Chairman

  Cllr Margaret Smith – Aberdeen City Council

  Mrs Oonagh Aitken – Fife Council

  Mr John Harris – COSLA

  Dr Carol Tannahill – Greater Glasgow Health Board

  Mr Graeme Pearson – Strathclyde Police

  Mrs Betty Bott – Crown Office for Scotland

  Sheriff Daniel Convery

  Ms Agnes Robertson – HMPI Cornton Vale

  Mrs Caroline Graham – MacLeod and MacCallum (Solicitors)

  Ms Lesley Irving – Scottish Women’s Aid

  Ms Claire Houghton – Scottish Women’s Aid

  Ms Alison Paterson – Victim Support Scotland

  Ms Lily Greenan – Scottish Rape Crisis Network

  Mrs Gillian Stewart – Scottish Executive, Social Work Services Group

  Dr Anne MacDonald – Scottish Executive, Health Department

  Miss Lorraine Harper – Scottish Executive, Education Department

  Mr Richard Grant – Scottish Executive, Development Department

  Mrs Micheline Brannan – Scottish Executive, Justice Department

  Dr Sheila Henderson – Reid Howie Associates

  Mr John Rowell, Scottish Executive, Justice Department

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which elements of public spending on education and childcare in Scotland are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Peter Peacock: Control of public expenditure on both education and childcare in Scotland is fully devolved to the Scottish Executive. Scotland also benefits from the UK Government’s policy on Working Families Tax Credits and from funding from the National Lottery.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the average cost per pupil for primary school pupils attending schools with 65 or less pupils.

Peter Peacock: Based on data provided by local authorities and published annually by HM Inspectorate of Schools, the average budgeted cost per pupil in such schools in financial year 1998-99 was £2,990 compared with a national average per primary pupil of £1,849.

Environment

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will redefine the powers available to litter wardens under section 88 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to enable them to demand the name and address of litter offenders without the presence of a police officer.

Sarah Boyack: We have no such plans.

Finance

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Conservative): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual budgeted cost of Scotland House in Brussels is and whether this cost is met from its block grant.

Mr Jack McConnell: Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a range of Scottish interests. Its principal components are the Scottish Executive EU Office and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of subscribers.

  The total running costs for the Scottish Executive EU Office are expected to be around £650,000 p.a. These costs will be met from the Scottish Executive’s budget. Scotland Europa’s costs are a matter for Scottish Enterprise and the Scotland Europa members.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what planned expenditure by the Scotland Office is included in the Scottish Budget in each year from 1999-2000 forward, in real terms, when this information was first published, and where.

Mr Jack McConnell: Under the terms of the Statement of Funding Policy published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999, the Secretary of State for Scotland is voted provision by the UK Government in respect of the expenses of the Scotland Office. There is no planned expenditure by the Scotland Office included in the Scottish Budget. This information was first published in the Departmental Report, Serving Scotland’s Needs, on 25 March 1999.

Food

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what in outline is the role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland and the nature and degree of its areas of responsibility.

Susan Deacon: The role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland will be to improve food safety, standards and the protection of public health in relation to food. It will advise Ministers and the public on food safety and standards issues, bringing together existing responsibilities for food safety, primarily food hygiene, food standards, novel foods, chemical safety and co-ordination of emergency action and undertaking new responsibilities for on farm surveillance, enforcement monitoring and provision of information including on the nutritional content of food.

Health

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the continued provision of accident and emergency services at Ayr Hospital.

Susan Deacon: It is for Ayrshire and Arran Health Board to decide how best to deliver services to the population resident within its area. The Board has recently concluded consultation on its Draft Orthopaedic Strategy and is considering the results. I understand that the Board has no plans to close the Accident and Emergency Departments at either Ayr Hospital or Crosshouse Hospital. The Board has plans to improve the range of services at these departments and in the primary care setting. These include better links with the out-of-hours GP and dentist services and psychiatric services, and improvements to services for children and victims of domestic violence.

Highlands and Islands

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the level of fuel prices is having upon the number of visitors to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland this season and what steps it will take to assess this issue.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Latest estimates for Scotland as a whole indicate that spend by UK tourists has increased by 13%. Figures for the Highlands and Islands will be available in the autumn. The Government is preparing a new tourism strategy to ensure that Scotland’s tourist industry remains internationally competitive.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify, for each of the last 3 years, broken down between (a) council tenants (b) housing associations and co-operative tenants, and (c) private tenants, (i) how many eviction actions were raised in Scotland; (ii) how many such actions proceeded to decree; (iii) how many evictions took place, and (iv) how many families gave up their tenancies as a result of such actions.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.

Housing

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to take forward the proposals in the Housing Green Paper.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Further to the answer I gave on 22 July to question S1W-505 from Fiona Hyslop, I have today published a summary of responses to the Housing Green Paper "Investing in Modernisation" and made it available on the Internet. Copies of the summary are also available in The Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

  I very much welcome the constructive and well-informed contributions that we received in response to the Green Paper. Tackling Scotland’s housing problems and taking forward the wide-range of initiatives identified for action in A Partnership for Scotland is a major challenge.

  We are already moving ahead. I have announced a homelessness review group chaired by Jackie Baillie and we have taken on board the ideas that came forward in the Green paper responses.

  The Green Paper suggested that the goal for housing policy should be the provision of high quality, well-designed housing which is affordable for all, is energy efficient and which supports the integration and regeneration of communities. This proposed vision received widespread support and it is endorsed by the Scottish Executive. Wide-ranging action is needed to implement that vision and to build on the existing community ownership programme. This includes primary legislation, and I should make it clear that the Executive plans to publish a draft Bill in the first half of next year.

  Over the forthcoming months we will continue to work with interested parties in developing our proposals for legislation and non-legislative changes leading up to the opportunity for full pre-legislative scrutiny of the kind which I hope the Parliament will become known for.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any person domiciled in Scotland who commits murder abroad and is sent back to Scotland will be subject to the licence provisions which attach to all those imprisoned for murder in Scotland and, if not, whether appropriate legislation will be introduced.

Mr Jim Wallace: Under the terms of the International Convention On The Transfer of Sentenced Persons and other bi-lateral agreements, the enforcement of the sentence on a person who is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in a foreign jurisdiction and who is transferred, with his or her consent, to Scotland is governed by Scots law. This means that they would, on release, be subject to the same legal disabilities as a person sentenced to life imprisonment in this country. In other words, he or she would be released on life licence and would be liable to be recalled to custody for a breach of the conditions of that licence.

  As regards those persons who are deported to the United Kingdom or who return to Scotland voluntarily on completion of a prison sentence in a foreign jurisdiction, there are no statutory powers under which they can be made subject to compulsory supervision nor can they be imprisoned other than as a result of a sentence of imprisonment imposed for a crime committed in this country. Consideration is, however, at present being given to what measures might be put in place to deal with such cases. This is a complex area both legally and practically, not least because of the need to ensure that any statutory disabilities placed on such persons do not result in an aggravation of their sentence in breach of Article 7(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

  While those returning to this country on completion of their sentence cannot be made subject to compulsory supervision, the law recognises the need of released prisoners for advice and support. There is a statutory duty on local authorities to make available advice, guidance and assistance to people who request such a service within 12 months of release, including persons deported, or otherwise returning, to this country.

  Also, by virtue of section 20 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, a sex offender order can be made against a person who has been punished under the law in force in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom for an act which constituted an offence under that law and which would have constituted a sexual offence to which Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 applies if it had been committed in any part of the United Kingdom. An order can be made if the person has acted so as to give reasonable cause that an order is necessary to protect the public from serious harm. Once a sex offender order is made, the person becomes subject to the registration requirements of the 1997 Act. Breach of an order is a criminal offence.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine public perceptions of the treatment of victims of crime by the judicial system.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is concerned to ensure that the criminal justice system recognises and meets victims needs. There is existing research on victims' views of, and satisfaction with, the criminal justice system.

Tourism

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future funding of Tourist Boards.

Henry McLeish: I will consider the position in the light of the responses to our consultation exercise.

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to encourage Her Majesty’s Government to proceed with the upgrade to motorway status of the A74 from Gretna to Carlisle.

Sarah Boyack: Following the 1997-98 review of the trunk road programme in England it was decided that lower cost options should be investigated for upgrading the A74 to motorway between Carlisle and Guardsmill. A study of options is in progress and a report is expected in the autumn. The Scottish Executive is represented on the study steering group. The Scottish Executive will continue to press for early implementation of a scheme to upgrade the road to motorway standard.

Transport

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has monitored the build up in traffic on the western perimeter of Edinburgh, whether it has put together a package of measures to address it and, if so, what these measures are.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive monitors traffic volumes across the Scottish road network and is responsible for the motorway and trunk road network. Responsibility for local roads rests with the appropriate local authority. The Scottish Executive is: considering proposals for the upgrading of the A8000 from the A90 south of the Forth Road Bridge to the M9 Spur, within the Strategic Roads Review; working with the City of Edinburgh, West Lothian and Fife Councils and the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board, within the Forth Transport Infrastructure Partnership, on measures to address congestion on and around the Forth Road Bridge; and encouraging local authorities to address transport problems within their areas through their Local Transport Strategies.

Transport

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the Skye Bridge Company will reduce the toll on the bridge over the winter months, as in previous years.

Sarah Boyack: In accordance with the 1992 Toll Order, the tolls on the Skye Bridge will be reduced between 1 October and 30 April 2000.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its power to give grants for rail services, what representations it intends to make to Her Majesty’s Government in order to ensure that Scotland has adequate independent representation on the Strategic Rail Authority.

Sarah Boyack: The G.B. Railways Bill, introduced on 7 July, will give statutory authority to the new Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive, the Scotland Office and the U.K. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions are in regular contact on matters in the Bill relating to the devolution of executive functions to the Scottish Ministers.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail services in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: This financial year, over £208 million of public money will be spent to secure passenger train services in Scotland. An additional £6.1 million will be available for Scottish rail freight schemes.

Young People

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the importance for voluntary youth bodies of it paying the proposed £10 charge for police checks on people working with young people.

Angus MacKay: The intention is that the system of criminal record checks provided under part V of the Police Act 1997 should be self financing. However, we recognise the concerns of the voluntary sector on the proposed charges, and we are keeping the position under review.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Opening Ceremony

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer what criteria were used to select schools invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any special schools were invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer to provide a list of the schools which participated in the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament.

Sir David Steel: The participation of young people on 1 July was the responsibility of Unique Events, working under contract to the Scottish Office. The request for an escort of young people to the civic procession was made late in the day. The Scottish School of Music and Drama was approached because it offered a group of young people drawn from all over Scotland. Additional young people were required and the organisers approached the Secretary to the Modern Studies Association. It is recognised that the outcome of these approaches, adopted under pressure of time, had shortcomings.

  In relation to the children’s parade, all 32 local authorities were approached in order to select schools from their areas to participate in the parade on 1July. Each local authority undertook its own selection process and accordingly the information sought is not available centrally.

Smoking

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body proposes to enforce the ban on MSPs and staff smoking in Parliament Headquarters.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB recently reaffirmed that the entire Parliamentary complex should be a smoke free environment. The SPCB will be looking to the Business Managers to assist in exhorting all Members to observe the ban. Any Member or their staff found smoking in the Parliamentary complex will be reported to the SPCB, who will consider appropriate action. Parliament staff found smoking will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedures.

  The Scottish Parliament Policy on Smoking in the Workplace, which reinforces this message will be issued to all Members, their staff and Parliament staff this week.